Milwaukee Cross Country – The Helm Sisters
 
Brittany Helm is pushing for her fourth consecutive Horizon League Cross Country Championship title with the Milwaukee cross country program, but her resume speaks for itself. If you look back at her high school years, Brittany ended her prep career with two straight WIAA D1 State Championships at Muskego High School as well.
 
But she isn't the only Helm on the Panthers' roster. Her sister Rachel Helm, a member of last year's Horizon League Championship squad and both WIAA State Championships, is now in her second year as a runner for Milwaukee.
 
The Helms are the fourth pair of sisters to run cross country for Milwaukee, and the first since the Tarlton sisters in 2014.
 
Brittany started running in fifth grade. A family friend had kids around the same age that started cross country, which had a large influence on Brittany joining the sport. In turn, Rachel was influenced to start running by her sister.
 
"I'm not sure if I would've joined cross country without her," Rachel said. "I still might have joined anyways, but her already being in the sport had a big influence on me joining cross country."
 
They don't just run because Brittany started early, or because they're both good at it. They actually do enjoy running cross country.
 
"I like the team aspect of it," Rachel said. "I grew up playing a lot of different sports, and the team and the coaching structures in cross country are way better than any other sport."
 
"I do like how individualized it is, however, you can still compete as a team," Brittany added. "You can still win meets and conferences together, which makes it a completely different and unique sport."
 
Born two years apart, Brittany and Rachel are in their fourth season as cross country teammates since Rachel started high school six years ago – two at Muskego, two at Milwaukee. In the two years that they weren't teammates (Brittany running at Milwaukee while Rachel finished up at Muskego), the sisters said they missed running together.
 
"It was definitely harder because of the distance," Brittany said when asked about the years apart. "We didn't see each other much, especially with different academic and athletic schedules."
 
Rachel originally wanted to go farther from home for her college years but said that Brittany being at Milwaukee had a big influence on her decision.
 
"Growing up I always wanted to go to school far away," Rachel said. "I visited schools out of state, but I think Brittany being here really helped me make my decision."
 
Rachel was already on Milwaukee's radar after her junior season at Muskego, and associate head coach Jake Reilly said that Brittany wasn't necessarily doing all the talking during her sister's recruitment.
 
"I definitely leaned into Brittany to help me out a little bit," Reilly explained. "But I think Rachel had her own recruiting experience. Brittany was looking for a certain thing for college athletics and academics, and Rachel was looking for a slightly different version. I think we got really lucky and showed them that we offered both sides of the coin."
 
"Having Brittany here made Rachel a lot more confident coming in," Reilly continued. "Now that Rachel is a sophomore, they lean on each other and push each other to get better. If one has a bad day, the other can have a good day, just like anyone else on the team. They're not trying to best each other, just make each other better."
 
"Being on the same team as Brittany helps motivate and push me on the course," Rachel said. "She's part of the reason I've accomplished what I have."
 
Reilly, a four-time Horizon League Coach of the Year, is held in high regard by both sisters, particularly for his easy-going nature and flexibility when it comes to scheduling. Flexibility that helps Brittany out, as she is a nursing major and currently in clinicals.
 
"I ask her if she wants to change majors almost every week," Reilly joked. "The hardest part is what she's putting herself through. Her academic and professional desire is so high, just wanting to put her best into what she does and what she wants to be. And that's completely mirrored on the athletic side. She's not going to let a speed bump or a difficult situation determine the outcome."
 
Now part way through their second collegiate season together, the Helms have one Horizon League cross country title under their belts as teammates and are going for a second.
 
"Our goal is to win conference and do well at regionals," Brittany said. "It's nice having the team connection that we have and being successful with the people we love the most. We just want to put in the work together and be proud of what we accomplish."